NEW YORK – In its final home game this season, the Columbia lacrosse team will honor the Class of 2013 when they host local rival Manhattan on Friday, April 26 at 5 p.m. in the Columbia Soccer Stadium. The Lions will close the season on Sunday, April 28 with its final Ivy League contest at Harvard, which is set for a 1 p.m. start.

Columbia is 2-11 overall this season and 0-6 in the Ivy League entering Friday's matchup with the Jaspers. The team’s latest win was a 16-7 defeat over Fresno State at Robert K. Kraft just days after the Bulldogs edged the Jaspers 11-10.

On Thursday, April 11, the Tewaaraton Foundation announced the second of two rounds of additions to the Tewaaraton Award Watch Lists, presented by Panama Jack. Two men and nine women have been added to the watch lists, from which the 13th annual Tewaaraton Award winners will be selected and honored May 30, 2013, at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

Behind her consistent stellar play and program record-setting performances this season, senior Kacie Johnson has joined the prestigious watch list. The Tewaaraton Award is recognized as the pre-eminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse players in the United States. Endorsed by the Mohawk Nation Council of Elders and U.S. Lacrosse, the Tewaaraton Award symbolizes lacrosse’s centuries-old roots in Native American heritage.

Johnson currently ranks as one of the Ivy League’s top offensive players, leading the conference in both total goals (44) and points (56). With an average of 3.38 goals per game, the attacker ranks fourth nationally in that category.

NATIONAL STATISTICS

Paige Cuscovitch continues to remain atop the Ivy League in ground balls with 39 on the season, which ranks seventh best in the nation. As a team, the Lions lead the conference in ground balls with 262 this season. The team’s average of 20.15 ground balls per game stands third best in the country. With 127 caused turnovers, Columbia also leads the Ivy League in that defensive category, and ranks 12th in the national statistics.

WRITING THE RECORD BOOKS

With her second score of the game against Dartmouth on March 23, Johnson tallied her 135th career goal. The Wilton, Conn. native is now Columbia’s all-time career goals leader with 153 goals, breaking the previous record of 134 held by Holly Glynn (‘09CC).

The senior has 237 career points to date, becoming the first Columbia player to reach the 200-point mark. With seven points on Saturday, Feb. 23 in a win over Mount St. Mary's, Johnson surpassed Holly Glynn's ('09CC) mark of 186 points to become the all-time points leader in program history.

SCOUTING THE JASPERS

Manhattan will enter the Columbia Soccer Stadium on Friday with a 4-11 record on the season. Having dropped the past two outings, this will mark the final game of the regular season for the Jaspers. Carly Eskenazi leads the offense charge with 23 points and a team-high 20 goals.

SCOUTING THE CRIMSON

Harvard has dropped its last six contests and travel to Dartmouth before Sunday’s matchup with the Lions. Micaela Cyr leads Harvard with a team highs of 29 goals and12 assists for 41 points. The Crimson ranks sixth in the conference at 1-4 and are 2-10 on season.